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Posts Tagged ‘Middle Grade’

Switching Gears

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , on May 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »

After Agents Day, I switched my focus back to MAGE STORM, naturally. I’ve just completed a read through with minor revisions. I didn’t find too much that needed changing to meet the agent’s questions from the synopsis. I did try to bring out a couple of things a little more and trimmed a little from the middle. I want to go over that middle section again and then suck in a deep breath and send it off.

I still need to go over the new query again and take a serious look at that synopsis.

Then, I need to get back to my priorities from before Agents Day, mainly the second draft of SEVEN STARS and a revision to my quarter three Writers of the Future entry, if I can get it done in time. I’ve got some serious brainstorming to do on that one. I need to find a way to make the magic system a little more new and unique, if I can. Oh, and there are revisions to BLOOD WILL TELL, too.

And critiques to do, as usual.

Well, whatever else happens, I’m not going to be bored.

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Agents Day

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , on May 15, 2011| 2 Comments »

So, I spent all day yesterday at the Agents Day put on by the Orange County chapter of the Society of Chilren’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). It was a fascinating, informative, exciting, and exhausting day.

Five different agents spoke to a group of ninety writers.

  1. Natalie M. Fischer of Bradford Literary Agency talked about how to successfully re-envision and revise. The text of her talk should be available on her blog: www.adventuresinagentland.blogspot.com. She had several interesting and useful suggestions, so I recommend taking a look.
  2. Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio talked about the importance of finding the right agent and creating a career-long relationship.
  3. Edward Necarsulmer of McIntosh and Otis talked about the various kinds of things agents do during a day to help their clients.
  4. Anna Webman of Curtis Brown, Ltd. talked about the kinds of things authors can do to help generate their own publicity and help sell their books.
  5. Stephanie von Borstel of Full Circle Literary talked about her agency’s approach and brought one of the authors she represents, Rene Colato Lainez to talk about the author’s experience of working with an agent.

A lot of learning about the business crammed into one day and I’m not sure I’ve completely processed all of it, yet.

After the presentations, we broke into five smaller groups. The agents rotated among those groups for about fifteen minutes each so that we could have a chance to talk to them and ask questions.

Most exciting, MAGE STORM attracted the interest of the agent who read the first chapter for a critique. Now I have some revising to do, based on her suggestions, and send it on.

If you get a chance at one of these types of events, I would definitely recommend it.

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Long

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , on November 21, 2010| 4 Comments »

Back when I was finishing the first draft of MAGE STORM, I posted that it was a little short.  I wasn’t worried about that at the time because I knew I’d end up expanding it in the revisions.

Now that I’m about two-thirds of the way through the third draft, the tables are turned. 

Since I’ve decided that MAGE STORM is really Middle Grade, not Young Adult, I’m now concerned that it’s creeping up towards being too long.  If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

I know there’s some stuff at the end that I’ll probably cut or at least cut back.  Probably it will still end up about the right length.

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